The Relationship between Timing of Initiation on a Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist and Glycosylated Hemoglobin Values Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Abstract Purpose This study examines the relationship between timing of initiation on a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) values. Methods The IBM MarketScan databases were used to identify adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who initiated GLP-1 RA therapy and had multiple recorded HbA1c results. Time to GLP-1 RA initiation was proxied by the number of classes of glucose-lowering agents prescribed in the 2 years before GLP-1 RA initiation, with fewer glucose-lowering agents indicating initiation of a GLP-1 RA earlier in disease progression. Paired t tests examined differences in HbA1c values from preperiod to 2-year postperiod. Multivariable analyses examined the relationship between time to GLP-1 RA initiation and postperiod HbA1c values. Findings Initiation on a GLP-1 RA was associated with a 0.6% reduction in HbA1c values over 2 years (P  Implications Results indicate that although initiation on a GLP-1 RA is generally associated with reduced HbA1c levels, there may be additional clinical benefits associated with earlier initiation of a GLP-1 RA.